Envisioning the trend to approach the complexity of tumor microenvironments also at higher dimensions, we discuss microfluidic-enabled 3D bioprinting and recent advances in that arena. Then, we analyze the possibilities to control material flows and create space varying characteristics such as gradients or advanced 3D micro-architectures. This chapter outlines the current microfluidic toolbox for fabricating living constructs, starting by explaining the varied configurations of 3D soft constructs microfluidics enables when used to process hydrogels. Microfluidics is a powerful tool for biofabrication of cancer-relevant architectures given its capacity to manipulate cells and materials at very small dimensions and integrate varied living tissue characteristics.
While past research has been cancer cell centered, it is now clear that to understand tumors, the models that serve as a framework for research and therapeutic testing need to improve and integrate cancer microenvironment characteristics such as mechanics, architecture, and cell heterogeneity. This review will cover such technological advances and highlight what is needed for the field to mature for tackling the various needs for current and future pandemics as well as their relevancy towards precision medicine.ĭespite considerable advances in cancer research and oncological treatments, the burden of the disease is still extremely high. This could enable facile advances of important tools, diagnostics, and better physiologically representative in vitro models specific to individuals allowing for faster and more accurate screening of therapeutics evaluating their efficacy and toxicity. In this context, the convergence of bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip technologies, either used alone or in combination, could possibly function as a prominent tool in addressing the current pandemic. To this end, efficient diagnostic tools and treatments are still urgently needed. Furthermore, there are still some uncertainties and lack of a full understanding of the virus as demonstrated in the high number new mutations arising worldwide and reinfections of already vaccinated individuals. Nevertheless, despite that vaccines against COVID-19 have been successfully developed and vaccination programs are already being deployed worldwide, it will likely require some time before it is available to everyone. This strategy could be employed to tackle the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has made a significant impact and paradigm shift in our society. Here, the combination of organ-on-a-chip and bioprinting into engineering high-content in vitro tissue models is envisioned to address some precision medicine challenges. The field of precision medicine allows for tailor-made treatments specific to a patient and thereby improve the efficiency and accuracy of disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and at the same time would reduce the cost, redundant treatment, and side effects of current treatments. Therefore, the present study suggests that the GBH-2 hydrogel could be developed as a potential cell-laden bioink to print a cell scaffold with biocompatibility and structural integrity for soft tissues such as skin, cornea, nerve, and blood vessel regeneration applications.
Printability results also showed that the average wire diameter of the GBH-2 bioink (0.84 ± 0.02 mm (*** p 70%) of the human corneal fibroblast cell after seven days of printing under an ideal printing parameter combination (0.4 mm of inner diameter needle, 0.8 bar of printing pressure, and 25 ☌ of printing temperature). The analytical results indicated that the GBH-2 hydrogel exhibited the lowest loss rate of contact angle (28%) and similar rheological performance as compared with other investigated hydrogels and the control group. In addition, the hydrogel with a proper concentration was adopted as a cell-laden bioink to conduct cell viability testing (before and after bioprinting) using Live/Dead assay and immunofluorescence staining with a human corneal fibroblast cell line. The properties of the investigated hydrogels were characterized by contact angle goniometer, rheometer, and bioprinter. The 2 g of sodium alginate dissolved in 50 mL of phosphate buffered saline solution was mixed with different concentrations (1% (0.5 g), 2% (1 g), 3% (1.5 g), and 4% (2 g)) of gelatin, denoted as GBH-1, GBH-2, GBH-3, and GBH-4, respectively. The present study was to investigate the rheological property, printability, and cell viability of alginate–gelatin composed hydrogels as a potential cell-laden bioink for three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting applications.
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